Financial Planning Guides

However you invest your money, you owe it to yourself to ensure that you regularly review the performance, investment strategy and the charges you are paying to your portfolio managers. This is part of the ongoing service that we include for all our clients and we offer it to new prospective clients as well.

The way we work, and retire, is changing. Gone are the days when we would work in the same place for 40 years, reach the State Pension Age and collect a leaving present, never to return. More of us are now retiring early. While 60 to 65 is no longer seen as old, if you are to have a financially secure retirement it takes careful planning. That means thinking about things months, or even years before you plan to finish working. Using our knowledge and experience, we’ve pulled together a list of 15 things you should think about before you retire.

Defined Benefit pensions are now most commonly seen in larger employers and public-sector organisations. The number of businesses offering this type of pension is decreasing. However, millions of people are still members of this type of scheme and if you have one, then understanding how it works will give you a great foundation on which to base your decisions as you prepare for retirement.

This guide will help you to understand the options facing you and the benefits and disadvantages they present.

Of course, the only sure-fire way to know whether an option is right for you, is to seek professional advice and guidance before making any concrete decisions.

Defined Benefit pensions may also be referred to as ‘Final Salary’ pension or schemes. But for the sake of simplicity and comprehension, we will refer to them as ‘Defined Benefit’ throughout this guide.

Back in 2006, something known as ‘A-Day’ was supposed to be the moment when – ‘once and for all’ – the rules for pension saving were simplified and everyone would be able to work out how to make the most of their retirement arrangements. Sadly, that dream has proved elusive – successive governments have continued to tinker with the regulations and it is therefore quite understandable you might feel a little overwhelmed by the complexities.

Nevertheless, despite all the changes, pensions still represent one of the most tax-efficient ways for most people to save for retirement. The aim of this guide, therefore, is to help you understand the available options.

This guide is designed to help you through the maze of IHT, outlining who needs to be concerned, explaining how it works and introducing some of the allowances you can use to help mitigate its effects on your estate. If you would like to discuss any of the points raised, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Inheritance tax (IHT) has traditionally been seen as a tax only for the very wealthy. However, with a threshold of £325,000 (£650,000 for married couples and civil partners) that will remain frozen until 2021, and the price of houses still relatively high, more and more people could find themselves caught in the net. This could lead to many people having to sell long- held family heirlooms or investment assets to meet tax bills that a little bit of planning could help avoid.

Many people think that financial advice is required only by the very rich. However, everyone can benefit from it. Not only can it help you protect and build your assets, it can also assist you in making the most of your investments and securing the long-term future of you and your family.

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Choice Financial Solutions is trading style of The Choice IFA Network Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, authorisation number 440484. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Estate Planning, taxation advice and some mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. *Please note this number may not be free from all numbers i.e. mobile numbers. The guidance and/or advice contained within the website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore primarily targeted at customers in the UK.